Chubb Names Australia and New Zealand President

1 min readUpdated Mar 9, 2021Mar 10, 202111:06 PM

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Zurich-headquartered insurer Chubb has appointed a new president for Australia and New Zealand.

Chubb names Peter Kelaher country president for Australia and New Zealand, according to a statement, succeeding Jarrod Hill who is leaving the firm. Kelaher reports to Paul McNamee, senior vice president of Chubb Group and APAC regional president.

Kelaher has 20 years of insurance experience and he joined Chubb in 2008 as a financial lines underwriter before being promoted to product manager for directors and officers, and P&C business lead for Australia and New Zealand in 2016.

Chub has had a presence in Australia and New Zealand for over a century with seven branches and more than 800 staff.

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What this means

Chubb's internal promotion of Peter Kelaher signals a conservative, yet prudent, strategy for its established Australia and New Zealand markets. This appointment uses deep company knowledge, contrasting with external hires often seen in more aggressive expansion efforts like Panpuri's 16-store Asian rollout. Given Chubb's century-long presence and stable footprint of seven branches and 800 staff, this move is likely to foster continuity, rather than disrupt competitors. However, it pressures rivals to demonstrate equally robust internal talent pipelines or risk appearing less stable. The primary risk lies in whether an internal promotion can drive new growth compared to fresh external perspectives. Watch for any subsequent announcements regarding new market initiatives or product launches under Kelaher's leadership.

Minjun Park · Retail News Asia newsroom

Questions & Answers

Who is the new president for Australia and New Zealand?

Peter Kelaher has been named the new country president for Australia and New Zealand. He will report to Paul McNamee, who is the senior vice president of Chubb Group and APAC regional president.

What was Peter Kelaher's previous role at Chubb?

Peter Kelaher joined Chubb in 2008 as a financial lines underwriter. Before this promotion, he was the product manager for directors and officers, and the P&C business lead for Australia and New Zealand since 2016.

How long has Chubb operated in Australia and New Zealand?

Chubb has maintained a presence in both Australia and New Zealand for over a century. The insurer currently operates with seven branches and employs more than 800 staff across the region.

Reader pulse

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